In 1994, Al Gore and Bill Clinton sold out the labor movement with NAFTA. A lot of liberals, (myself included) sat out the congressional elections that year since Clinton/Gore proved they were willing to fuck us over secure in the fact that "where are the liberals going to go - to the Republicans?"

As a result, the Republicans took the House and the Senate and held onto those seats for 12 years.

In 2000, many disgusted liberals (including myself) were sick of being ignored by the party we supported and voted for Ralph Nader.

Get a clue, Democrats!!! Fuck us over again and we'll either stay home or go to 3rd party candidates. And you can kiss the White House and the Congress good-bye!

is either profoundly naive (most Democrats) or just shockingly stupid.

The Democratic Party essentially needs to be destroyed. It is a corporate party through and through. EVERY progressive movement or tendency DIES in the Democratic Party. EVERY SINGLE ONE. And it has been that way for a very long time. The Democrats do not carry on or champion progressive causes; they wither away, stagnate, or die. Progress is fought from without the party.

I also think the voters who put them in office are fully aware of that fact.

Dumping the public option will be as clear a signal as possible that anyone who votes that way isn't first and foremost working for his or her constituents.

The most wretched outcome would be to mandate insurance without having a public option. Isn't that what's in Baucus' bill?

Geez, passing that wouldn't just be a clear signal that elected Democrats don't care what their constituents want it'd be a damn insult; a real slap in the face. It'd also be stupid and would receive condemnation from every part of the political spectrum. The insurance companies would like it though and everyone would know it for a total sell out. It's not like Democrats can blame the GOP for that one if it passes, most Republicans won't vote for any bill that comes up regardless of content.

If the majority of Democrats vote for that type of "compromise" and President Obama signs it then it'll be an albatross around the party's neck for years. Deservedly so too.

Why do you keep writing about people who are essentially thugs and bought off crimiinals as if they are legitimate or part of a legitimate process?

However, since the Bush years America and Americans have exhibited tendencies of a rogue nation, what else should we expect? The leadership mirrors the people.

In my email and phone calls to my Democratic representative, Blue Dog Specialist Jim Cooper (Both my TN Senators are Republicans, whom I've also contacted), after discussing the issues surrounding health care, I told him what my bottom line is. I will not vote for any Democrat who has anything to do with a health care reform bill that does not contain a vigorous, viable, strong public option. It's a deal breaker.

You can peddle all the other things in the bill you want, and they are all fine and necessary, but if you can't make it affordable to me, what's the use? If you mandate me to buy insurance and then leave it up to the insurance companies to price it so that I can afford it, what in the name of common sense makes you think they will? What's been keeping them from doing that already? I've gone without health insurance for 10 years because I can't afford it. At middle age, I have hypertension, the onset of osteo-arthritis, and a couple other, at this point, minor health situations that need attention. I don't smoke, drink, do drugs and I'm not obese. The least expensive health insurance I can find that's worth a squat requires that I pay, as a single person, $8,000+ a year. That's almost half of my income at this point.

Without a public option, there is no way to enforce any price discipline on the insurance companies, and any bill without a public option ends up being one of the biggest welfare hand outs to private industry in the history of the human race. If the Democrats pass a bill without a public option, they will loose the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. I'll never vote for another one and I've never voted for anyone but Democrats.

But..but...but..I can hear those who insist that that would be empowering the Republicans. So what? What's the difference? If the Democrats pass a bill that empowers the Insurance Cartels EVEN FURTHER, what's the difference?

Let the Republicans take over again. Let them, along with their evil Democratic twins, choke and exploit and squeeze the people even more. Let the streets run riot over it. I might even vote for them to speed the process along. The quicker it falls apart, the quicker we can start to put it back together in a way that makes sense for the common citizens.

President McCain and Vice President Palin are doing such a great job, I will not vote ever again for any Democrat that doesn't do exactly what I think they should do, exactly the way I want them to do it.

Seriously, I want single payer as much as the next guy, bit nothing good ever comes easy. If we lose this time we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the game. It's inevitable that we will have single payer someday.

And deal with it we will.

If Olympia Snowe's vote is more important than mine, OK it's their choice. If they want to coddle the Right, they shouldn't be too surprised if the Left isn't there come next November.

Let's all be cool the american people are watching all of this. Let the GOP drag their feet.Let them show their Obama with a bone sings. Keep reaching out to them. The american people will see how hard we tryed. Just as long as the american people see Obama as reasonable and the GOP as fools we'll to ok. Just don't do a deal